Shoe machine



Oct. 3, 1944. A. R MORRILL 2,359,665

. SHOE MACHINE Filed Jan. 2'7, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 3, 1944.

A. R. MORRILL SHOE MACHINE Filed Jan. 27, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 3, 1944. R MoRRlLL 2,359,665

SHOE MACHINE Filgd Jan. 27, 1944 s Sheets-Sheet z Patented Oct. 3, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE MACHINE Alfred E. Morrill, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 27, 1944, Serial No. 519,925

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to shoe mathe shoe is supported upon a jack, and in which the jack and the means for operating on the shoe are moved relatively to transfer the point of operation about the shoe, and to change the relative positions of the Shoe and the operating means to cause the shoe to be presented properly to the operating means as the point of operation is transferred about the shoe, all of the relative movements of the shoe and the operating means being produced and controlled by automatically acting mechanisms. While the several mechanisms of the present invention are particularly applicable to automatic shoe machines of the type above referred to, certain features of the invention are also capable of use in other types of automatic machines. It is also to be understood that except-as defined in the claims, the several features of the invention are not limited to any particular construction and arrangement of parts.

The invention is hereinafter disclosed in the preferred form as embodied in an automatic machine for sewing the welt and upper to the insole of a welted shoe which, except .as hereinafter specifically pointed out, is substantially similar to the automatic welt inseam sewing machine illustrated inv applicant's copending application Serial No. 364,223, filed November 4, 1940, for Shoe machines.

In the illustrated machine the arrangement of the cams and cam levers is such that a down slope of about 45 is encountered on the return portion of the pitch cam. The remaining jack positioning cams are formed with a step so that the followers associated therewith drop off, passing through the air to reach the starting position, and snubbers are customarily employed to ease the return movements of these followers. It was found that the pitch cam follower if held against its cam by the usual spring pressure during this return movement, tended to advance the cams beyond the starting position for the machine. In accordance with the disclosure of applicants copending application above referred to, a snubber device was applied also to the pitch cam lever to ease the return movement of this lever and the jack to the starting position. Difliculty has been experienced, however, in obtaining a balance between the snubbing action of the pitch cam lever snubber device and the yieldable means for maintaining the follower on its cam which would insure an easy and accurate return movement of the jack mechanism to starting position without interfering with the cam actuated movement of the pitch cam lever and jack during the transfer of the point of operation about the shoe.

It is a principal object of the invention to improve the operation of the work supporting and actuating mechanism'to cause this mechanism to operate with a greater degree of smoothness and precision, to present the shoe to the operating means during the transfer of the operation about the shoe, and to cause the shoe supporting jack with its actuating connections to be returned quickly and accurately to the initial load ing position at the completion of the operation on the shoe.

With this and hereinafter appear, a feature of the invention consists in the provision of a novel and improved construction and arrangement of the snubber mechanism for'controlling the operation of the longitudinal pitch cam lever of the automatic support comprising means for relieving the retarding action of the snubbe'r device during the operation about the shoe and for re-establishing the retarding action of the snubber device during the return movement of the jack to starting position. Y

Another feature of the invention consists in i the provision of a control mechanism for establishing and for relieving the retarding action of the pitch cam lever' snubber device which is controlled in timed 'relation'with'the operation of the jack toggle mechanism, and comprises connections acting when the toggle connection is broken upon starting the operation about the sole margin of the'shoe torelieve the retarding action of the snubber, and upon the straightening of the toggle connection to depress the jack prior to its return to starting position to establish the retarding action 'of the snubber.

The several features of the invention consist also in the devices, combinations and arrange-' ment of parts which, together with the advantages to be obtained thereby, will be readily understood by one skilled in the art from the fol-' lowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in right side elevation of'an automatic welt inseam shoe sewing machine embodying therein the several features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan .view of the machine base partly broken away to show the pitch cam snubber connection, the lever supports, and certain of the actuating cam and follower connections therefor; Fig.3 is a detail sectional plan view illustrating particuother objects in view, as may' larly the jack longitudinal tip cam lever, its cam, the snubber mechanism connected thereto and the connection with the toggle actuated jack control lever, the parts being shown with the snubber device rendered inoperative; Fig. 4 is a detail sectional plan view of, the snubber mechanism shown in Fig. 3, but with the snubber device in its operative position; and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view infront elevation illustrating substantially the parts shown in Fig. 3.

The automatic machine illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings as embodying in a preferred form the several features of the invention-comprises a base I0 within which is mounted the supporting and actuating mechanism for the jack, a head section l2 within which is housed the inseam shoe sewing mechanism of the machine, and a top section M within which is housed the driving motor l6 of the machine. The illustrated machine is provided with a shoe supporting jack which maybe of well known construe tionas that, :for.example,-illustrated in the patent toCross-No. 2,056,714, dated-0ctober 6, 1936. The jack generally indicated at 18 comprises a toe supporting arm rig-id with a, spindle 22 and a heel supporting arm adjustable .with relation thereto. The jack is mounted on a supporting structure which comprises a horizontal supporting arm .26 in the forward end of which the lower end of the jack spindle is mounted to rotate .and to swing freelyon gimbals, the pitch support lever 28 on which the arm 26 is mounted to swing vertically, and a roll support lever or fram 36 pivotally mounted at its lower end in the machine vase so as to be capable of swing-- ing about a horizontal axis and upon which the support lever ;26 is mounted so as to swing about a substantially vertical axis. These parts are so arranged as'to permit free rotational movement of the jack -and its Supporting spindle 22 on its gimbals and ,for imparting forward and back or roll tipping movements and longitudinal or pitch tipping'movementsto the jack over a wide range of angles adaptable to the most extreme lasts, to properly position the shoe with relation to the sewing instrumentalities as the point of operation is transferred about the shoe. Feeding movements are imparted tot-he shoe :by means of the feed lever generally indicated ;at 32 in Figs. land 2, located on the left side of the machine outside of ':the machine casing and connected by mean-s of a curved link 34 with the toe support of the jack.

The pattern mechanism by means of which the various positioning movements are imparted to the jack comprises the pattern cam shaft .36 which is mounted rearwardly of the jack .supporting structure in the rear portion of the machine casing, and has supported thereon, in accordance with the usual practice, a set of operating cams. :Ihe cam actuated levers-cooperating with [the cams are supported on a vertical pivot shaft 38 located at the left side of the pattern ca-m shaft 36, each of the cam levers being arranged to extend laterally and with their cam engaging rollers in contact with the front side of the associated cams.

The cams and associated cam actuated levers forcontrolling the movement of the jack as indicated in Fig. 1, include a feed cam 40 and feed cam lever :42, a turn .cam. 44 and a turn cam lever 4.6, a jack roll cam 48 and roll cam lever 50 connected by means vof a link 52 with the ,jack roll support lever, and apitch cam 54 and pitch cam lever 56 connected by a link 58 with a latadvance of the jacked shoe.

eral extension of the jack pitch support lever 28. These connections including the several operating cams therefor on the cam shaft 36 are similar in construction and mode of operation to the corresponding parts illustrated in applicants c0- pending application Serial No. 364,223 above referred to. As pointed out in that application, the arrangement of the several cooperating levers and cams is such that a positive connection is provided between the pitch cam and the pitch supporting lever for positively moving the lower end of the jack spindle in the direction of feed to overcome any tendency of the jack to rock in a counterclockwise direction which might result from increasedresistance or obstruction to the This movement takes place against the resistance of a resilient take-up device which acts to urge the several jack operating connections including the cam levers against the surfaces of their respective operating cams. With the present construction, the contour of the pitch cam is such that the return portion of the cam slopes inwardly at approximatelya 45 angle, so that the pitch cam lever 56 drops inwardly toward the center of the patterncam shaft in order to return the jack to its initial starting position at the completion of an'operation about the sole margin of a shoe.

In accordance with the disclosure of the copending application Serial No. 364,223 referred to, the return movement of eachof the feed, turn, roll and pitch cam levers to the starting position is controlled by means of a snubber device which serves to cushion and to slow the movement of w the several levers inwardly as the followers ride off the high step portions of their respective cams. The return movement of the pitch cam lever 56 and follower roll 66 associated therewith is retarded by means of a snubber device -comprising a cylinder 62 which is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 64, and has mounted therein an axially shiftable piston 66. An arm 68 extending forwardly from the hub of the pitch cam lever 56 is connected with the piston 66 by a connecting pin 16 which extends downwardly through a slot 12 formed in the upper side of the cylinder 62. Two passages 14 and 16 are formed within the body of the piston 66 for the passage of a fluid medium which may be oil from one end to the other of the cylinder. The passage M is of relatively large size to permit a free passage of oil therethrough during movement of the piston 66 to the left as the pitch cam lever 56 moves forwardly under the positive action of its cam 54. During movement of th piston in the opposite direction, the passage 14 is closed by the action of a check valve 80. The passage 16 is of small size to restrict the flow of oil from one end of the cylinder to the other and thereby the rate of .movement of the piston 66 and pitch cam lever 56 in the return direction. Adjustment of the rate of flow of the liquid medium through passage 16 and thereby of the rate of return of the lever 56 is provided by means of an adjusting pin 8| screw-threaded into the piston 66 to further restrict the size of the passage 16. The pitch cam lever snubber device operates during the return movement of the jack to retard the movement'of the pitch cam lever 56 and follower roll 60 inwardly suificiently so that the roll 66 leaves the cam 54 "and engages therewith again only as the roll is brought opposite the low portion of the cam in starting position. The action of the snubber device provides a cushioned return motion of the jack along the line of movement directed by the pitch cam lever connections.

In accordance with the usual practice in machines of the type described, the pattern cam shaft is advanced through the last 19 or 20 of rotation to cause the jack to be reurned to its starting position and to return the cams to their starting positions by means of an eccentric mechanism including a latch element which engages and pushes the pattern cam shaft ahead. It was found that the inwardly directed engaging pressure of the pitch cam lever follower roll 60 against the sloping return surface of the pitch cam 54 acted to advance the pattern cam shaft more rapidly and to a greater extent than called for by the operation of the eccentric mechanism, with the result that the pattern mechanism was no longer adjusted or timed to properly coordinate and control the operation of the several operating and supporting mechanisms of the machine. The removal of the follower roll 60 from contact with the cam 54 during the return movement of the jack avoids this difficulty.

In accordance with the present invention, mechanism is provided for causing the retarding action of the pitch cam lever snubber device to be relieved during the progress of the operation about the sole margin of the shoe, and to become effective only during the return of the jack to starting position. The valve relieving mechanism comprises a by-pass conduit 82 extending lengthwise of the cylinder 62 in the wall thereof. The by-pass 82 is connected at one end with the chamber formed by the central piston receiving bore at the end adjacent the pivot pin 64, and is connected at its other end with a chamber 85 formed by means of a transverse disk 88, at the other end of the cylinder 62. A valve comprising a valve stem 90 fitted into a circular aperture in the disk 88, is operative either to permit or to check the flow of the fluid medium from one side to the other of the piston 66. A cap 94 screw-threaded to the cylinder 62 serves to close the outer end of the cylinder, and has formed therein a central bore to receive and support the valve stem 90. A compression spring coiled about the projecting outer end of the valve stem between an abutting portion of the cap 94 and a disk 96 fastened to the outer end, tends to support the valve stem 90 in an extended closed position.

In the preferred form of the invention, the valve relieving mechanism is operated by the toggle connections for moving the-jack between an alternative raised operative position and a lowered inoperative position. As in the copending application Serial No. 364,223 referred to, the'jack is forced yieldingly upwardly to maintain the jacked shoe in engagement with the shoe operating devices of the machine through connections which comprise a lever I horizontally disposed on the machine base to turn on a pivot I02 and connected at its forward end by means of a vertically extending link or strut I04 with the jack supporting lever 26. These connections are urged upwardly by means of a tension spring I06 connected to a downwardly extending arm of the lever I00. A toggle connection comprising a toggle link I08 pivoted at H0 on the machine frame and a toggle link II2 pivotally connected to the lever I00 acts when straightened to move the lever I00, the jack supporting lever and the jack downwardly and away from the shoe operating mechanism. At

the completion of an operation on a shoe, the

stop motion of the machine acts through an eo-' centric mechanism common to machines of the type described to rock lever arms H4, H6 in a clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 1, to raise the control rod IIB so that the collar I20 on the lower end thereof is brought into engagement with the tail of toggle link I08 to straighten the toggle, and thereby to move the jacked shoe away from the shoe operating mechanism. The eccentric mechanism acts thereafter to complete the rotation of the pattern shaft and pattern cams, so that the jack is rotated in a reverse direction to the starting position. In starting the operation upon a new shoe, the toggle connection is released to permit the newly jacked shoe to move upwardly into engagement with the shoe operating mechanism of the machine.

The movements imparted to the toggle actuated connections for raising and lowering the jack are rendered operative to control the operation of the pitch cam lever snubber device by means of a rearwardly extending control lever I22 formed integrally with the sleeve hub of the jack control lever I00, and provided at its outer end with a cam element I24 for engagement with the valve stem. These parts are so constructed and related to one another that a rocking movement of the lever I00 and attached control lever I22 in a clockwise direction when the toggle connection I08, H2 is broken upon starting the machine, causes the cam I24 to engage with and move the valve stem inwardly to ope-n position, thereby relieving the retarding action of the snubber device. The subsequent rocking movement of the lever I00 and attached control lever I22 in a counterclockwise direction when the toggle is again straightened in stopping the machine, causes the cam I24 to move away from the valve stem 90 to close the valve and thereby to establish the retarding action of the snubber device, during that portion of the machine cycle when the pattern mechanism and jack controlled thereby are returned to their initial starting position.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated, and a construction embodying the several features of the invention having been specifically described, what is claimed is:

1. In an automatic machine having means for operating upon a shoe, a shoe supporting jack, and supporting and actuating mechanism for the jack arranged for imparting turning, tipping and feeding movements to the jack in accordance with an automatic cycle for the performance of an operation about the sole margin of the shoe, including jack positioning cams and cam levers, means for supporting the levers yieldably against their cams, a snubber device associated with one of said cam levers for retarding movement of the follower lever under the influence of said yieldable means, and means under the control of the jack actuating mechanism for relieving the retarding action of the snubber device during a portion of said automatic cycle.

2. In an automatic machine having means for operating upon a shoe, a shoe supporting jack, and supporting and actuating mechanism for the jack including an assembly of jack supporting members and cams and cam levers connected therewith for imparting .turning, tipping and feeding movements to the jack in accordance with an automatic cycle of operation, means for supporting the levers yieldably against their cams, a snubber device connected with one of said cam levers for retarding movement of the follower lever under the influence of said yieldable means, means for relieving the retarding action of said snubber device, and means operable during said automatic cycle for controlling said relieving means.

3. In an automatic machine having means for operating upon a shoe, a shoe supporting jack, and supporting and actuating mechanism for the jack including an assembly of jack supporting members, and cams and cam levers for imparting turning, tipping and feeding movements to the jack to transfer the operation about the sole margin of a shoe, and thereafter to return the jack to an initial starting position, means for supporting the levers yieldably against their earns, a snubber device associated with one of said cam levers for retarding movement of the lever under the influence of said yieldable means, means for relieving the retarding action of the snubber device, and control means operable during the transfer of the operation about the shoe to relieve the retarding action of the snubber device and during the return movement of the jack to establish the retarding action of the snubber device.

4. In an automatic machine having means for operating upon a shoe, a shoe supporting jack, and supporting and actuating mechanism for the jack including an assembly of jack supporting members, and cams and cam levers for imparting turning, tipping and feeding movements to the jack to transfer the operation about the sole margin of a shoe, and thereafter to move the jack away from the operating mechanism and to,

return the jack to an initial starting position, a hydraulic snubber device connected with one of said cam levers, means for by-passing fluid through the snubber device to relieve the retarding action thereof, and means responsive to the movement of the jack away from the operating means to render said by-pass means inoperative.

5. In an automatic machine having means for operating upon a shoe, a shoe supporting jack, and supporting and actuating mechanism for the jack including an assembly of jack supporting a members, and pattern mechanism including cams and cam levers for imparting turning, tipping and feeding movements to the jack to transfer the operation about the sole margin of a shoe, and thereafter to return the jack to an initial starting position, means for supporting the levers yieldably against their cams, a snubber device connected with one of said cam levers for retarding movement of the lever under the influence of said yieldable means, means for relieving the retarding action of the snubber device, and means under the control of the pattern mechanism of the machine for actuating said relieving means to relieve said retarding action of the snubber device during the transfer of the operation about the sole margin of the shoe, and to establish said retarding action during the return movement of the jack.

6. In an automatic machine, means for operating upon a shoe, a shoe supporting jack, and supporting and actuating mechanism for the jack arranged for imparting transverse and longitudinal tipping, turning and feeding movements to the jack to present the shoe to the operating means and to transfer the point of operation about the shoe and thereafter to return the jack to the initial starting position including a horizontally disposed jack supporting arm, a universal swivel support for the jack on the arm, supporting means on which the arm is arranged for horizontal and vertical swinging movements, a vertically arranged pattern cam shaft and cams on the shaft, follower connections controlled by said cams including a jack feed cam lever, a jack turn cam lever, a jack longitudinal tip cam lever, and a jack transverse tip cam lever, the cam controlling said jack longitudinal tip cam lever having a substantial drop portion for returning the jack to the initial position, means for supporting the levers yieldably against their cams, a hydraulic snubber device associated with the longitudinal tip cam lever for retarding movement of the lever under the influence of said yieldable means, means for by-passing fluid through the snubber device to relieve the retarding action thereof, and control means acting to by-pass said fluid during the transfer of the operation about the sole margin of the shoe and render said by-pass means inoperative during return movement of the jack.

'7. In an automatic machine having means for operating upon a shoe, a shoe supporting jack,

and supporting and actuating mechanism for,

the jack including an assembly of jack supporting members, and cams and cam levers for imparting turning, tipping and feeding movements to the jack to transfer the operation about the sole margin of a shoe, and thereafter to return the jack to an initial starting position, means for supporting the levers yieldably against their cams, jack positioning meansoperable in start ing the operation upon a shoe to move the jack toward the operating means and prior to the return movement of the jack to move the jack away from the operating means, a snubber device associated with one of said cam levers for retarding movement of the lever under the influence of said yieldable means, and means actuated by said jack positioning means to relieve the retarding action of the snubber device during the transfer of the operation about the shoe, and to establish the retarding action of the snubber device during the return movement of the jack.

8. In an automatic machine having means for operating upon a shoe, a shoe supporting jack,

and supporting and actuating mechanism for the jack including an assembly of jack supporting n members, and cams and cam levers for imparting turning, tipping and feeding movements to the jack to transfer the operation about the sole margin of a shoe, and thereafter to return the jack to an initial starting position, means for supporting the levers yieldably against their cams, jack positioning means comprising a toggle connection arranged to be broken in starting the operation upon a shoe to permit movement of the jack against the operating means and to be straightened prior to the return movement of the jack to move the jack away from the operating means, a snubber device associated with one of said cam levers for retarding movement of the lever under the influence of said yieldable means, and means rendered operative by the breaking of said toggle connection to relieve the retarding action of the snubber device and by the straightening of said toggle connection to establish the retarding action of the snubber device. ALFRED R. MORRILL. 

